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Amaphupho KaJosefa
1 UJakhobe wahlala elizweni lapho uyise laye ahlala kulo, ilizwe laseKhenani.
2 Lo ngumlando wosendo lukaJakhobe.
UJosefa ijaha elalileminyaka elitshumi lesikhombisa, wayeselusa imihlambi yezimvu labanewabo, amadodana kaBhiliha lamadodana kaZilipha, abafazi bakayise, wasebaceba kuyise.
3 U-Israyeli wasuka wamthanda uJosefa ukwedlula wonke amanye amadodana akhe, ngoba wamzala eseluphele; yikho wamenzela ijazi eliceciswe kakhulu. 4 Kwathi abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ukwedlula bonke abanye bamzonda kabazange bamkhulumise ngothando.
5 UJosefa waphupha, wathi esebatshelile ngephupho lakhe bamzonda ngokwedlulisileyo. 6 Wathi kubo, “Zwanini iphupho engibe lalo: 7 besibopha izithungo zamabele sisemasimini lapho okuthe masinyane esami isithungo saphakama sema saqonda, kwathi ezenu izithungo zasigombolozela esami, zasikhothamela phansi.”
8 Abanewabo bathi kuye. “Ufisa ukubusa phezu kwethu na? Ungasibusa ngempela na?” Basebemzonda ngamandla ngenxa yephupho lakhe lalokho ayekutshilo.
9 Waphinda waba lelinye iphupho, walitshela abanewabo. Wathi, “Lalelani, ngibe lalo elinye iphupho, kuleli, ilanga lenyanga kanye lezinkanyezi ezilitshumi lanye bezingikhothamela phansi.”
10 Wathi eselitshele uyise njalo labanewabo uyise wamkhalimela wathi, “Liphupho bani leli oliphuphileyo? Utsho ukuthi unyoko lami labanewenu sizaguqa phansi emhlabathini sibili siguqela wena?” 11 Abanewabo babalomona ngaye, kodwa uyise wayigcina engqondweni yakhe indaba le.
UJosefa Uthengiswa Ngabafowabo
12 Abanewabo basuka bahamba lemihlambi kayise emadlelweni eduze kweShekhemu. 13 U-Israyeli wathi kuJosefa, “Njengoba usazi abanewenu basemadlelweni lemihlambi eduze kweShekhemu. Lalela-ke, ngifuna ukukuthuma kubo.”
Waphendula wathi, “Kulungile.”
14 Ngakho wasesithi kuye, “Hamba uyebona ingabe abafowenu bayaphila yini kanye lemihlambi, ukuze ubuye uzongazisa.” Lakanye wamvalelisa esuka esigodini saseHebhroni.
UJosefa esefikile eShekhemu, 15 wafunyanwa yindoda ezula egangeni yambuza yathi, “Udingani?”
16 Waphendula wathi, “Ngidinga abafowethu. Kambe ungangitshela ukuthi belusela ngaphi imihlambi yabo na?”
17 Indoda yaphendula yathi, “Sebesukile lapha. Ngabezwa besithi, ‘Kasiyeni eDothani.’ ”
Ngakho uJosefa wabalandela abafowabo wayabafumana eduze kweDothani. 18 Kodwa bambona esesekude, wathi engakafiki kubo, bakhanda icebo lokumbulala.
19 Batshelana bathi, “Nanguyana umphuphi lowana esiza. 20 Zwanini, kasimbulaleni simphosele kwelinye lamagodi la besesisithi udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Besesibona-ke ukuthi azaphelela ngaphi amaphupho akhe.”
21 Kwathi uRubheni esekuzwile lokhu, wazama ukuthi amlamulele ezandleni zabo. Wathi, “Kasingacimi impilo yakhe. 22 Lingachithi gazi. Mphoseleni emgodini lo lapha enkangala, kodwa lingambeki isandla.” URubheni watsho lokhu ukuze amlamulele kubo abesembuyisela kuyise.
23 Ngakho kwathi uJosefa efika kubafowabo, bamhlubula ijazi lakhe, elalibalazwe kakuhle ayeligqokile, 24 bamthatha bayamphosela emgodini. Umgodi lo wawungela lutho, kungelamanzi phakathi kwawo.
25 Bathi sebehlezi phansi ukuthi badle, bathi baphosa amehlo babona udwendwe lwama-Ishumayeli luvelela eGiliyadi. Amakamela abo ayethwaliswe iziyoliso, ibhami lemure, konke lokhu bekusa eGibhithe.
26 UJuda wathi kubafowabo, “Sizazuzani nxa sibulala umfowethu sigqibele igazi lakhe na? 27 Zwanini, kasimthengiseni kuma-Ishumayeli thina singambeki sandla; kambe yena evele engumfowethu, eyinyama yethu legazi lethu.” Abafowabo bavuma.
28 Ngakho kwathi abathengisi bamaMidiyani besedlula abafowabo bamkhupha uJosefa emgodini bamthengisa ngamashekeli esiliva angamatshumi amabili kuma-Ishumayeli, amthatha aya laye eGibhithe.
29 URubheni wathi esebuyela emgodini wafumana uJosefa engasekho, wasedabula izigqoko zakhe ngokudabuka. 30 Wabuyela kubafowabo wathi, “Umfana kasekho! Sengizakwenzanjani manje?”
31 Basebethatha ijazi likaJosefa, babulala imbuzi basebegxamuza ijazi lelo egazini. 32 Balithatha ijazi lokuceciswa babuyela lalo kuyise bathi, “Silidobhile. Ake ulikhangele kuhle kumbe lijazi lendodana yakho.”
33 Lakanye walibona liyilo wathi, “Lijazi lendodana yami. Udliwe yisilo esesabekayo. Ngempela uJosefa usedlithizwe waba yizicucu.”
34 UJakhobe wasedabula izigqoko zakhe, wagqoka ezamasaka walilela indodana yakhe okwensuku ezinengi. 35 Wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi beza ukuzamduduza, kodwa kavumanga ukududuzeka. Wathi, “Hatshi, ngizakuya ethuneni ngilila nginje, ngiye endodaneni yami.” Uyise wamkhalela kanjalo.
36 Kusenjalo, amaMidiyani amthengisa uJosefa eGibhithe kuPhothifa, omunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, owayengumlawuli wabalindi.